The Douglas DC-3
made air travel popular and airline profits possible. It is universally
recognized as the greatest airplane of its time. Some would argue that
it is the greatest of all time. Design work began in 1934 at the
insistence of C.R. Smith, president of American Airlines. The
first DC-3 built was the Douglas Skysleeper Transport, and it was the
height of luxury. Fourteen plush seats in four main compartments could
be folded in pairs to form seven berths, while seven more folded down
from the cabin ceiling. The plane could accommodate 14 overnight
passengers or 28 for shorter daytime flights. The first was delivered to
American Airlines in June 1936, followed two months later by the first
standard 21-passenger DC-3. In addition to the 455 DC-3 commercial
transports built for the airlines, 10,174 were produced as military
transports during World War II. For both airline and military use, the
DC-3 proved to be tough, flexible, and easy to operate and maintain. Its
exploits during the war became the stuff of legend. Today, more than six
decades after the last one was delivered, hundreds of DC-3s are still
flying and still earning their keep by carrying passengers or cargo.